by Nathan Parker & Editor
THE University of South Wales Men’s 1st continued their fine league form with a battling victory over lowly Bath 2nd at Sardis Road.
Regular USW fly-half Foard Cooksley got proceedings under way and after only four minutes gave the home side the perfect start. After eight phases the ball was launched out wide to Cooksley who sliced through the Bath defence, around the full-back and in at the corner. Centre Corey Shepphard added the extras.
In a scintillating start to the game, Bath responded within minutes of the restart. With last week’s man of the match, Josh Hayward, down injured in midfield, the away team capitalised. Great interplay between the Bath backline paved the way for the away side’s inside centre to go through the middle of the USW defence and feed the ball onto his scrum half to score under the posts. Extras added.
The away side weren’t done there as their forwards showed their muscle by driving a 20-yard maul over the line a quarter of an hour into the game. With the conversion missed, the home team needed to respond quickly, and they did. A short kick off from Cooksley was gathered in by mobile prop Tom Mably who stretched his legs to score a try from 40-metres out. Sheppherd reclaimed the lead for the home side.
The lead was short lived though and Bath were back in front within two minutes. Loose play from USW lead to the away side’s inside centre crashing over under the posts after great interplay between the two half-backs. The lead was stretched to five points with the conversion.
The home side looked to be crumbling with kicks going out on the full, penalties given away and Bath’s bonus point on the way. Another driving maul was too much for USW to handle and the score was extended to 24-14 to the away team.
The saying ‘you’re at your weakest when you’ve just scored’ certainly came to mind as USW got their third try straight from the kick off through captain Gareth Jones, who was fantastic all evening. A superb offload in midfield from try scorer Mably to Sion Edwards put the flanker through a gaping hole in the away side’s defence. Through several phases, hooker Will Haly came just short of the line before a superb pick up and score from Jones brought USW back into the match. Extras missed making the half-time score 24-19 to Bath.
With the batteries recharged, USW made a storming start to the second half with a driving maul of their own, leading to centre Corey Sheppherd bursting through the middle, past the hapless full-back and under the posts for the crucial bonus point. The Cross Keys play maker converted his try to give his side the lead.
Justin Burnell’s half time team talk looked to spring the Welsh side back into life and after a quickly taken line out, Bath’s ill-discipline got the better of them, conceding a penalty right underneath their posts. Sheppherd calmly stroked the ball over to make it 29-24 to USW 10 minutes into the second half.
The home side were much improved in defence and turned over ball at will, which was rewarded with their fifth try of the game as Edwards and Mably combined once again to give the prop his second try of the match. Sheppherd converted the extra two points.
With the home side in cruise control after scoring 22 points without reply, Bath needed a swift response and that’s just what they got. With 20 minutes of the contest remaining, the away side’s pacey left winger scooted past the USW defence to bring his side back into the match. It was game on again, especially when four minutes later USW were brought back to within two points with a difficult three pointer duly slotted between the posts.
With the sea-saw battle nearing its ending, the pressure was on the home side to put the game to bed. Outstanding flanker Sion Edwards was the man to put the final nail in the English side’s coffin, scrambling the ball over the line after many phases on the Bath try-line. Sheppherd took his points tally to an impressive 18, which took the game away from Bath’s reach. The home side prevailed 43-34 and will now look forward to the challenge of bottom side UWE next Wednesday.
MAN OF THE MATCH: USW’s Gareth Jones
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